Saturday, April 2, 2016

Strolling Bowling

Strolling Bowling was a compact portable bowling game by Tomy that you could play in your living room, backseat, or even in your own backyard. Just open the case and there's your bowling alley! Wind up the ball, put it down on the lane and watch as it hops along and knocks over the pins! No batteries necessary, for ages 5 and up. Have tons of fun bowling today!

It sure was a long weird road from board games to home gaming consoles. All the cool ideas and clever designs of these things are just great. I never really owned many of them (Hungry Hungry Hippos count? The JAWS game? Games where you set up targets and knock them down with rubber band-powered darts or Nerf airplanes?). The first portable gaming things I really remember enjoying--I was more of a toy guy as a kid--were pretend arcade sports games with sounds and LED displays, Simple Simon, that kind of electronic gizmo. Those were cool, but these are way neater.

Today with all the mind numbing hi tech shit, I much rather prefer lo fi... I remember when playing Mousetrap was the most complicated thing in my life (as I still need help reprogramming any digital clock after day lights savings!)

Speaking of Mousetrap, get ready to run yourself ragged in the next post! I'm looking at you Mr C!

About Me

(aka Steve Banes) Editor / co-editor of IDW's Chilling Archives of Horror Comic Books: ZOMBIES, RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES, DEVIL TALES, and MUMMIES, as well as co-host of the bi-monthly HAUNTED HORROR comic series and HAUNTED LOVE miniseries. (All image scans and photography by me from items found in my own personal collection-- except where noted.)